Financial data is provided in a number of forms. Data such as stock prices, price movements, trading volume, percentage change in price, etc. are available to the financial or investment professional. These data or information feeds, however, commonly are so numerous as to be overwhelming. Some data visualization tools permit assimilating, joining and reviewing these feeds. However, the data visualization tools that exist are typically independent in function and utility. Therefore, the user is forced to use the existing data visualization tools singly or in an otherwise less than desirable manner, which may detrimentally affect the user's ability to monitor and execute financial transactions including trading strategies. For example, specific trading strategies may be constructed and executed on the basis of data feeds, yet if the data cannot be usably understood, the strategies may be detrimentally affected.
The data visualization tools that exist also are often relatively static and inflexible. That is, in most instances, data visualization tools are based upon customized implementations for receiving specific data feeds, and each new implementation may require new programming with attendant programming cost and time.
More recently, the art has attempted to provide enhanced data visualization interfaces known as “graphic user interfaces” or “GUIs.” A graphic user interface provides an interface to a local or networked environment which permits a user to graphically review data, select depicted objects and manipulate applications corresponding to those objects. While the aforementioned GUIs may provide an interface for monitoring and executing financial transactions, there is a need for convenient and flexible integrated visualization tools for monitoring and execution of financial transactions in a graphic user interface.
Even with the aforementioned GUI's, the art is further limited in having different interfaces for different users. For example, financial professionals such as institutional or professional traders, analysts, etc. often encounter different interfaces to a financial institution. A single interface, customizable by type of financial professional, would provide a consistent institutional presence to the public, thus benefiting the institution and providing the public with the convenience of a single interface.
Moreover, GUI's may at times be inaccessible or of limited use to the financial professional. Yet other interfaces might well lack the sophistication or ease of use of a GUI. Additionally, the professional may well have become used to a particular interface as an information provider. Yet the prior art lacks convenient delivery mechanisms across a number of interfaces for financial information.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide convenient, customizable, financial information interfaces.
It is a further object to provide such interfaces in more than one delivery mechanism, such as through a GUI, email and alerts.
It is a further object to provide such interfaces implemented in a networked environment such as the Internet.
It is a further object of this invention to provide apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture for integrated interfaces for data visualization.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a convenient, flexible and integrated graphic user interface for monitoring financial information and executing financial transactions in a networked environment.